Blog Posts

Maternal Immune Activation and MIcroglia dysregulation

6/13/2025

Understanding the developmental beginnings of Many Neuro-Developmental & Psychiatric Disorders

Val's Take/Conjecture

Maternal Immune Activation and MIcroglia Dysregulation (Dysregulation of the Brain's Innate Immune Cells) are 2 important pieces to the puzzle of Neuro-Developmental and Psychiatric Disorders.
Mitochondria, Microglia, and the Immune System—How Are They Linked in Affective Disorders? (2019)
Dysfunctional Mitochondria is a hallmark of aging.

WHAT'S THE POINT?

These paradigms and understandings don't look like the DSM.
Now, there appear to be plans to get the DSM 6 on a more biologically sound footing.
There are many legal and policy ramifications of these new understandings--- we need a concerted effort to address them.

The roles of immune factors in neurodevelopment (2025)

A microglia-containing cerebral organoid model to study early life immune challenges (2025)

Prenatal Immune Stress: Its Impact on Brain Development and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (2025)

"Many epidemiological studies have indicated that prenatal immune stress, frequently elicited by maternal immune activation, underlies a major risk for neuropsychiatric disorders of neurodevelopmental origin, such as schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders."

metabolic dysregulation and neuro-developmental and Psychiatric disorders

6/12/2025

Val's Take/Conjecture

"Metabolic Dysregulation" like a lot of this is on a "Spectrum."

I'm going to be adding "Catch-22" on the "Orchid Theme's and Symbols" page -- I've already used it a lot and I'm going to use it now.

I think the Crux of the "Catch-22" for many people with Neuro-Developmental and Psychiatric Disorders is:

They often have more synapses and brain hyper-plasticity which require more ENERGY, BUT
Due to dysregulation of Microglia IN UTERO as a result of Maternal Immune Activation (and Paternal Immune Activation), Metabolism is dysregulated with Mitochondrial dysregulation and insufficient ATP.
So they actually need more ENERGY than the average person to supply their brains --- but their bodies have less ability to efficiently convert Glucose into ATP.

Lauren Kennedy West with Dr. Chris Palmer

Are Mental Illnesses Really Metabolic Disorders?

Dysregulation of immune and metabolism pathways in maternal immune activation induces an increased risk of autism spectrum disorders (2023)

Mitochondria at the crossroad of dysregulated inflammatory and metabolic processes in bipolar disorders (2024)

Microglia in Central Control of Metabolism (2023)

Glucose dysregulation in antipsychotic-naive first-episode psychosis: in silico exploration of gene expression signatures (2024)

Neuroimmunometabolism: how metabolism orchestrates immune response in healthy and diseased brain (2025)

Neuro-Immuno-Metabolism

Cleveland Clinic -- Continuing Medical Education (2015)

Metabolic Comorbidities in Autism Spectrum Disorder – Part Two

The BRAIN Foundation

Metabolic Autism Prediction (MAP) Study - John Slattery, BioROSA Technologies @Synchrony (2021)

Glucose transporter 1 deficiency, AMP-activated protein kinase activation and immune dysregulation in autism spectrum disorder: Novel biomarker sources for clinical diagnosis (2023)

The Ethics of Mitochondrial Replacement Therapy & Transplantation

6/11/2025

Val's Take/Conjecture

The United Kingdom and Australia are the only countries to specifically approve the use of Mitochondrial Replacement Therapy.
- Both the UK and Australia are using Mitochondrial Replacement Therapy in the context of Reproductive Medicine and IVF (In Vitro Fertilization).
The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is prohibited from approving Mitochondrial Replacement Therapy research and clinical applications.

What's the point?

The main point is that researchers around the world are honing in on potential new therapeutics based on new paradigms.

Mitochondrial Transplantation in Animal Models of Psychiatric Disorders: A Novel Approach to Psychiatric Treatment (2025)

*Japanese Researchers

Researchers are targeting pro-inflammatory microglia --- including wholesale replacement

Mitochondrial transplantation in brain disorders: Achievements, methods, and challenges (2025)

*Swiss Researchers

Mitochondria in the Central Nervous System in Health and Disease: The Puzzle of the Therapeutic Potential of Mitochondrial Transplantation (2024)

*Israeli Researchers

Mitochondrial Replacement Therapy: In Whose Interests? (2022)

*Canadian & US Authors

Dr. Michael Burton and Neuro-Immunology and Behavior

6/8/2025

Dr. Michael Burton, PhD
Center for Brain Health
University of Texas

Neuroimmunology and Behavior (2025)

For a much shorter video click HERE

Trauma, Bessel van der kolk and Concern about what is happening in the us

6/6/2025

See also: Trauma, trust and triumph: psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk on how to recover from our deepest pain

"The reality, of course, is that being traumatised does make you a difficult person to get along with."

Experts in traumatic stress are concerned about global impact of what is happening in U.S (2025)

Bessel van der Kolk
Your reality narrows after trauma — here’s how to expand it

"UNreasonable Fatigue" & Mitochondrial dysfunction in NEuro-Developmental & Psychiatric Disorders

5/30/2025

Val's Take/Conjecture

One of the amazing accomplishments of Modern psychiatric drugs of the past few decades --- they could resolve a psychosis in many cases.

Just get the medication right and add some Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) --- and you're good to go.

Well, sort of.

It's been within the past 10 to 15 years that there has been a significant recognition that people with Neuro-Developmental and Psychiatric disorders have differences in EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING.

It's been more recently that we are linking Executive Functioning challenges to Mitochondria Dysfunction and Microglia Dysregulation -- dysregulation of the brain's innate immune cells.

This is not just Psychiatry or Neurology --- this is also Immunology (and other bodily systems and disciplines as well).

Mitochondrial dysfunction in psychiatric disorders (2024)

Inflammation-induced mitochondrial and metabolic disturbances in sensory neurons control the switch from acute to chronic pain (2023)

Mitochondrial dysfunction: A fatal blow in depression (2023)

Associations of the immune system in aggression traits and the role of microglia as mediators (2024)

Elena Carroll
What Autism Fatigue Really Looks Like in High Maskers

"UNREASONABLE FATIGUE"

More and more Neuro-Diverse youtubers are tackling the topics of FATIGUE and BURNOUT.
Certainly, it looks like TIREDNESS, but it can also look like:
- IRRITABILITY
- PAIN --- maybe that associated with Migraines
- Etc.

Innate immune dysfunction and neuroinflammation in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (2023)

Mitochondria and Mood: Mitochondrial Dysfunction as a Key Player in the Manifestation of Depression (2018)

Dr Naglaa Elmongy ----The Role of Inflammation in Depression & Fatigue

5/29/2025

Val's Take: Neuro-Developmental and Psychiatric Disorders are starting to look much more like other illnesses.

Neuro-Developmental and Psychiatric Disorders involve the Immune System, Cytokines, and Macrophages.

Many other illnesses have psychiatric symptoms.

Derma Immunology---
Dr Naglaa Elmongy
The Role of Inflammation in Depression & Fatigue

We don't need another Celebrity diet doctor

5/29/2025

Val's Take/Conjecture

I think when we see someone who we think needs to lose weight --- we think --- if that person would just lose the weight --- their problems would be solved.
Further, we're often focused on different types of diets and exercise programs ---- which can be helpful. This is an issue for a dietitian or a personal trainer.
BUT what if a person has a DEVELOPMENTAL DYSREGULATION of their MICROGLIA, MITOCHONDRIA --- and they are not as good as the average person at producing ATP.

I don't think it is any accident that the most deadly psychiatric disorders are Eating Disorders.

While there are definitely bi-directional relationships, often the MICROGLIA DYSREGULATION came first IN UTERO.

My Dad was 200 pounds when he was 12 and he was not a tall guy.

He lost that weight.
He ultimately died of Parkinson's and Lewy Body Dementia --- NO ATP.

A younger male relative of mine was overweight as a child.

He developed eating disorders --- seemingly starving himself.
He seemed to have gotten past that --- was trim --- looked great and healthy --- and committed suicide in March of this year.

Historian Daniel Boorstin made a distinction between Celebrities and Heroes.

We don't need another Celebrity Diet Doctor or The Biggest Loser --- we need Medical Professionals/Heroes who can deal with the complexity of this problem.

Of course now we have Weight Loss Drugs ---- but why do so many people need them?

Some of these drugs are thought to:

contribute to more efficient ATP production within cells, and
improve Mitochondrial Energy efficiency
there seem to be both Mental Health concerns and hopeful aspects with regard to Wegovy and Ozempic.

Stressed Mitochondria: How the Powerhouse May Be Involved in Mental Health (2023)

By Tara Lago

"Patients with mitochondrial disorders arising from deletions in the mtDNA have comorbidities with mood disorders and experience symptoms like phobias and panic attacks (Filiou & Sandi, 2019).

"A study done on children with oxidative phosphorylation disorders, a type of mitochondrial disease, found that they displayed significantly more depressive behavior compared to healthy controls (Morava et al., 2010).

"Another study confirmed that 70% of the participants diagnosed with mitochondrial dysfunction met the criteria for mental illness (Fattal et al., 2006)."

Eating disorders and neurodivergence

"Once thought of primarily as social diseases, eating disorders are now much better understood, with researchers increasingly discovering biological drivers of these conditions.

"And studies have shown that, in many cases, eating disorders commonly occur in people considered neurodivergent. "

If Medieval people filled in the blanks of human bad or problematic behavior with DEMONS --- we do it with Psychology's PRO SOCIAL COMPETENCY RELIGION or LIFESTYLE CHOICES.

The fact that these equations are incredibly complicated is incredibly inconvenient.

HINT: Neurodivergence is DEVELOPMENTAL ---- It's not a lifestyle choice.

Mitochondria, Energy & Life --- Martin Picard

5/24/2025

Val's Take/Conjecture:

Colombia University Researcher Martin Picard is not just proposing a paradigm shift in mental health --- but in our view of life itself!

Many who now view mental illness as a Metabolic Disorder are proposing a KETO DIET.

Human beings have been trying to find the Magic Diet or Elixir for thousands of years and they have often come up short.

One of the concerns that I have is that when treatments don't work as well as we hoped --- we often blame the patient. That is true across board --- but menta health patients are uniquely vulnerable because of the stigma in the society.

So I think a KETO DIET may very well help some people --- while focusing on PRECISION MEDICINE and the right treatment, at the right time, for the right patient.

Scientific American
Could Mitochondria Be Rewriting the Rules of Biology?
(May 2025)

Additionally, I have had concerns that NEURO-DEVELOPMENTAL and PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS are not sufficiently recognized as DEVELOPMENTAL with IN-UTERO DYSREGULATION of MICROGLIA.

It seems as though repair of Mitochondria can influence the regulation of Microglia in a positive way. (See: Mitochondrial Regulation of Microglial Immunometabolism in Alzheimer’s Disease)

mitochondria link to mental illness -- Dr. Ana Andreazza

5/23/2025

Val's Note: This is a long video from 2 months ago.

Understanding MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION and its relationship to MENTAL ILLNESS is a fairly significant paradigm shift and the research of the last decade or so does support this focus on MITOCHONDRIA.

This has the potential to be TRANSFORMATIVE in our UNDERSTANDINGS and TREATMENT of Mental Illness.

I've seen a lot of people who have been criminally shamed and/or punished for essentially mitochondria dysfunction. Further, not understanding MITOCHONDRIA DYSFUNCTION leads us to write off people who are homeless as lazy or just needing a break when they actually have serious systemic biological dysregulations.

The Intersection of Mitochondrial Function and Psychiatric Disorders: Biomarkers, Gene Variants, and Patient Stratification

Metabolic Health Summit
The Mitochondrial Link to Mental Illness | Ana Andreazza, PhD

This video is highly technical and it certainly doesn't present that all the questions are answered.

On the other hand, this research is RELEVANT to individuals and our systems, even if the research is not completed. It raises REASONABLE DOUBT about current approaches and paradigms.

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Translational Medicine Friday

Maternal Immune Activation and MIcroglia dysregulation

Understanding the developmental beginnings of Many Neuro-Developmental & Psychiatric Disorders

metabolic dysregulation and neuro-developmental and Psychiatric disorders

The Ethics of Mitochondrial Replacement Therapy & Transplantation

Dr. Michael Burton and Neuro-Immunology and Behavior

Trauma, Bessel van der kolk and Concern about what is happening in the us

"UNreasonable Fatigue" & Mitochondrial dysfunction in NEuro-Developmental & Psychiatric Disorders

Dr Naglaa Elmongy ----The Role of Inflammation in Depression & Fatigue

We don't need another Celebrity diet doctor

Mitochondria, Energy & Life --- Martin Picard

mitochondria link to mental illness -- Dr. Ana Andreazza

Translational Medicine Friday

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